Lakers Signing Veteran Star Guard
The Lakers may be signing a veteran star guard soon.
LeBron James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, J.R. Smith, is reportedly trying out for Los Angeles next week.
According to Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, the Lakers are curious as to what Smith can bring to the table at this stage.
JR Smith Scheduled for Workout with Los Angeles Lakers I’m told: https://t.co/2GvURgyMUF
The NBA free agent only played 11 games last season.
Workout does NOT mean signing.
My latest via @heavysan. pic.twitter.com/puE9fhEU51
— 👑📍Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson, M.A. (@ScoopB) January 26, 2020
“There are no guarantees,” a source told Robinson.
“They want to see what he can do and if it is a fit, we’ll take it from there.”
Smith has not played a single NBA game since mid-November of 2019.
His final outing of the year came against the Detroit Pistons – a game in which he played for just six minutes.
At that stage in the season, the Cavaliers were 2-13 and clearly ready to move in a different direction.
The Lakers are currently 36-10 through 46 games and sit atop the Western Conference.
That said, the team still has some very notable holes that need to be patched up before the start of the playoffs.
Namely, LA needs someone who can take some of the playmaking responsibilities away from James and someone who can shoot the three-ball with consistency.
On paper, Smith does not seem to address either need.
Team general manager Rob Pelinka pledged to actively improve the roster in the lead-up to February’s trade deadline, so it will be interesting to see what moves are made between now and then.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
